As soon as I sat down in the tent, the dog curled up next to me -- I started thinking about germs and diseases. It’s crucial during a weeklong race to keep as clean as possible because without any access to showers or wash basins, it’s easy to get sick from anything you touch.

A post shared by FindingGobi (@findinggobi) on May 14, 2017 at 9:32pm PDT

The dog was looking right into my eyes, just as it had earlier that morning. I had a few hours before my six-thirty meal, so I pulled out one of the packs of nuts and biltong.

The dog’s stare was unbreakable.

With a piece of meat midway to my mouth, it struck me that I hadn’t seen the dog eat a thing all day. It had run the best part of a marathon, and still it wasn’t trying to beg or steal any of the food I had in front of me.

Dion Leonard is an Australian/British runner who currently lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dion started running in 2013 and has already achieved numerous top 10 finishes in ultra races around the world in the most extreme condition.